Background
The Visionary
Born on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1977, Louis Christropher Courtis is a member of the Ukranian Catholic Orthodox Church. He lives with his parents and works as a substitute teacher’s aide. He has had no formal religious training. Our Lady began appearing to him privately in 1995 and Our Lord in 1997.
During the apparitions, Chris, in a state of ecstasy, sees real, live, 3
dimensional figures, hears them audibly and repeats their message word for word.
Occasionally Chris describes what he is seeing in the apparition in his own
words. The messages are tape recorded as they are spoken, transcribed, and
reviewed by Chris’ spiritual director before being released.
Chris is under the spiritual direction of a Catholic priest. The bishop of the
diocese has been notified of the apparitions but has not made any comment or
initiated any investigation.
The Prayer Meetings
In March 2000, Our Lady asked Chris to form a prayer group to pray with her for her intentions and where she and Jesus could appear publicly and give their messages. He agreed and arrangements were made for the group to meet in a private home. Thirty-one persons from 17 parishes attended that first meeting on April 13, 2000. Since that time God the Father, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Archangels and various saints have been appearing to Chris Courtis at a public prayer meeting on varying schedules as seen in the “All Messages” Index of this website.
As of December 25, 2010, the regular monthly prayer meetings have ceased at Our Lady’s request. In 2011, the group will meet as requested only on April 25,th the feast of Our Lady the Good Shepherdess, and May 25th, the feast of Mother of Mercy. New messages are expected only on May 25th.
Overview of Messages – It’s all about returning to the Father!
For the first 4 years (April 2000- April 2004), Jesus appeared as Jesus, Lord and Lover of the Divine Will, and Mary appeared as Mary, Mother and Queen of the Divine Will. They said they came to lead us back to the Heavenly Father and to the Kingdom of the Divine and Most Holy Will of God. They gave instructions on living, loving, and praying in the Divine Will and fostering devotion to the Sacred Heart of God the Father.
On April 13, 2001, the first anniversary of the apparitions, God the Father
appeared to Chris, saying, “I come from Heaven to love you and to ask you in
prayer to return to Me!” From April 2001 to the present, He has given us many
instructions regarding devotion to His Most Fatherly Sacred Heart. They include
the Feast of the Sacred Heart of God the Father (the day before the feast of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary), the Blue Scapular of
God the Father, and the First Mondays in honor of His Sacred Heart. (See
Devotion Index) He also established Gaithersburg, MD as the Center of the Sacred
Heart of God the Father. He says he will appear on April 13th every year until
he chooses not to do so.
In June 2004, Jesus and Mary began appearing under the title of Your Jesus of
Mercy and Mother of Mercy to emphasize the need for love and mercy as
essential to living in the Divine Will. They have given us a Mother of Mercy
Chaplet, 4 novenas, a feast day (May 25th), included “Mother of Mercy” in the
Litany of the Blessed Mother, and have given special blessings and graces to an
original oil painting of the Mother of Mercy with the Child Jesus.
(See Devotion Index)
Between June 2004 and December 2005, Our Lady also appeared publicly to Chris On
the 24th of each month under her titles of 18 apparition sites around the world
and gave additional messages.
In April, 2008, St. Joseph began appearing on the second day of each month at Our Lady’s request “to foster devotion to his Most Chaste Heart and also to make people aware of his most powerful intercession.”
December 25, 2010, Our Lady announced that the only public message she would give in 2011 would be on the Feast of Mother of Mercy, May 25th.